Container and method of processing its contents



J. H. MURCH Jan. 1, 1935.

CONTAINER AND METHOD OF PR OCESSING ITS CONTENTS Filed Oct. 31, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY %gl7}ENTO2 Jan. 1, 19 35. u c 1,985,904

CONTAINER AND METHOD OF PROCESSING ITS CONTENTS Filed Oct. 31, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 a I I TOR w w ATTORNEY Jan. 1, 1935. J,VH. MURCH 1,985,904

CONTAINER AND METHOD OF PROCESSING ITS CONTENTS 1 Filed Oct. 31, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet s TINVENTOR vATTORNEY V Patented Jan. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER AND METHOD OF PROCESSING ITS CONTENTS Application October 31, 1929, Serial No. 403,887

4 Claims.

This invention relates in general to the art of packing food and other products in containers and more specifically to the provision of a container of improved construction and to a novel method of processing the contents of the container and closing the same. a

An important object of the invention is the provision of a sheet metal container having end closures which, while confining contents of a solid nature within the container, permit free circulation of steam or other processing fluid through the container from one end to the other, thereby effecting speedy, uniform, and thorough processing and sterilization of the contents.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a sheet metal container with metal ends of the friction or slip cover type having circulation holes in a part thereof, preferably in the flange of each cover, which permit the partial closing of the ends to retain the contents, while at the same time allowing free circulation of a processing fluid which enters through the circulation holes of one end and escapes through the circulation holes of the other, said ends being also adapted to be hermetiw cally sealed to the container by simple pressure mechanism after theprocessing has been completed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved and novel method of processing solid food or other product in a container by circulating live steam or other processing fluid through the container and its contents, the steam or other fluid entering one end of the container and passing out of the other end, thereby efiecting a more speedy, thorough, and uniform sterilization of the contents.

Another object of the invention is the provision ofan improved process of the aforementioned character which may be practiced in a continuously operating machineaway from the contaminating influence of the outside atmosphere.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a container which is readily usable in the practice of the aforementioned process and which is adapted to be closed by simple closing mechanism in the same machine in which the processing takes place. I

Numerous other objects of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of one type of container to which my invention is applicable, showing the metal ends with circulation holes in separated alignment with the container body.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1. showing the metal ends completely sealed to the container Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of part 01' a container body and the end closure partially applied to the same.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig.3, showing the end closure in full sealing engagement with the container body with the circulation holes scaled up bythe container body wall.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view, partly in horizontal cross section, of the mechanism for feeding, processing, and closing my improved container.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view of the apparatus taken along the arcuate line ii -6 of Fig. 5.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention I have shown my improved end closure applied to a well known type of sheet metal container, preferably the distributable can of commerce, which comprises a cylindrical body 11 having its top and bottom edges curled inwardly and then outwardly to form hollow top and bottom beads or rounded edges 12 and 13.

The ends 14 and 15 are alike in construction and dimension and only one of them need be described. Each end closure consists of a drawn shell having a sunken circular panel 16, a short vertical wall 17 terminating in a rounded edge or shoulder 18, andadepending annular flange or skirt 19 terminating in an edge 20. The skirt 19, about midwaybetween the shoulder 18 and the edge 20, has'a series of holes 21, preferably of circular formation, punched out of itsmaterial. These perforations 21 are spaced away from the edge 20 a sufilcient distance to leave a substantial annular impertorate sealing area or band 22, which may be die sized in the drawing of the end to fit tightly around either the upper or lower end of the body 11, and to adhere thereto with sufiicient tightness to partially seal the container to confine the contents until the latter have been thoroughly processed.

In practice, containers of the preferred type illustrated are filled with a solid, or substantially solid,.product 23 after one of the ends, say the bottom end 15, has been partially assembled to the lower end of the body 11. The top end 14 is then partially assembled in like manner. The contents which are thus confined in the body 11 between the two end closures are now ready to be processed. v

To carry out my improved processing and closing method I provide the preferred form of apparatus shown in Figs. 5 and 6. It must be borne in mind, however, that the formand construction of the apparatus shown in these figures may be changed in a number oi details without'departing from the scope and spirit of my invention.

Referring to Fig. 5, the filled and partially closed containers 24 are conveyed to a turret type of multi-pocket processing and closing apparatus over a trackway which comprises a fixed bottom guide plate 26, side rails 27 and 28, supported by cross pieces 29, which in turn are secured to the frame of the apparatus in any suitable manner.

The filled containers 24 are propelled or rolled along this trackway by an endless belt 30 which takes over a pulley o'r wheel 31 revolving in the direction of the arrow upon a vertical shaft 32 connected to a source of power (not shown).

The container 24 remains in frictional engagement with the belt 30 until it reaches station A represented by the first pocket 33 of a turret 34, which revolves around a central shaft 35 and is driven by any suitable power mechanism (not shown). when a container 24 comes in alignment with station A, it is received by and supported on the fiat upper surface of a plunger 36 which has been raised by a suitable lifting mechanism (not shown) until its upper face is on a level with the bottom guide plate 26 and the upper'face 37 of the multi-pocket turret 34.

The plunger 36 consists of'a chuck plate 38 having two bore holes or channels 39 crossing each other at the center, and a plunger shaft 40 having a channel or passageway 41 through its center. The plunger 36 has vertical movement in a sleeve or sealing member 42 which is also vertically movable within a cylindrical recess 43 and bearing 44 of the turret 34.

The sleeve or sealing member 42 is of similar configuration as plunger 36 and is adapted to house the chuck plate 38 and the shaft 40 of the plunger 36. Adjacent its top edge the sealing member 42 has secured in an annular recess thereof a sealing gasket 45 of rubber or other suitable material, the diameter of which is dimensioned so as to make fluid tight annular contact with the lower part of a container 24 while the same is in the processing station C.

The cylindrical pockets 33 of turret 34 are of uniform diameter, which is slightly larger than the diameter of the containers 24 and substantially smaller than the diameter of the recess 43 .in which the member 42 has vertical movement.

The upward movement of the member 42 is limited by the shoulder 46 formed by the difference in diameter of the pocket 33 and the recess 43.

For the sake of clarity of description, I have designated the various operating and idle stations which coincide with the turret pockets 33 as A, B, C, D, E,.F, and G, two of which, namely A and C have already been mentioned, and two of which, namely D and E are processing stations auxiliary to station C, and are not shown in Fig. 6, the; latter figure showing the apparatus inbroken line with these two stations omitted.

Whena filled container 24 has arrived at station A and has come to rest upn the flat face of chuck plate 38, the plunger 36 is lowered vertically until the container disappears within the pocket 33 a sufllcient depth to clear the top sealing plate 47 of the processing and closing apparatus 25. Simultaneously with the lowering of the plunger 36 the turret 34 performs part of its continuous rotary movement and brings the container 24 to station B, which'is an idle station, i. e., no positive operation either upon the container or the contents takes place at this pointof rotary travel of the container 24. During the travel of the container from this station to station C, the top plate 47 seals the container from the atmosphere and prevents any steam leaking from station C to station B and the atmosphere. Further continuous rotary movement of the turret 34 brings the container 24 to station C where the Up to this point the filled container 24 has had its two end closures partially assembled thereon, i. e., the skirt or depending flange 19 of the two ends has been forced over the container body 11 merely along the comparatively narrow sealing area 22 to hold the ends upon the container and to leave exposed the circulation or 'vent holes 21 above the rounded edge 12 and below the rounded edge 13 of the container body 11.

processing operationcommences to take place.-

It will be noted that the top sealing plate 47,

which prevents leakage of the processing fluid and the entry of air into stations 13 to F, is cut away at 53 and 54 to leave two stations, namely A and G, uncovered and open to the atmosphere for the reception and discharge, respectively, of container 24. A recess 48 on the inner side of the plate 47 extends over stations C and D and part of station E, as illustrated by dotted line in Fig. 5, to give the processing fluid, preferably steam, ample time and space to perform its sterilizing function while the container 24 is continuously and rapidly moved through processing stations C, D and E. The plate 47 has an opening 49 through the center of a boss 50 and a steam inlet pipe 51 is threadedly secured in said boss.

Steam at a proper temperature is introduced through the pipe 51 into the recess 48 and thence through the vent holes 21 of the top closure 14 into the filled container 24. The steam spreads itself rapidly and uniformly throughout the con-' tainer 24 and the contents 23, and is caused to escape at the bottom of the container through the vent holes 21 of the bottom closure 15.

The steam is compelled to enter the vent holes of the top closure 14 and to escape through the vent holes of the bottom closure 15, this being the only passageway it can take, because ,the gasket 45 of the sealing member 42, which has been previously raised by mechanism not shown to the position shown at station C in Fig. 6, prevents any of the steam from passing 'between it and the outer surface of the lower part of the container body 24, the gasket 45 making fluid tight sealing contact with the outer surface of the lower part of the container body 24. I

The steam which has thus passed throughout the contents of the container and which has been forced out of the vent holes of the bottom closure 15, passes out through the cross channels 39 in the chuck plate 38 and the central tube 41 of the.

plunger shaft 40. It may exhaust after flowing through the passages just described, or it may be reheated and conducted back to the pipe 51 by any suitable means (not shown). This processing of the product 23 by means of steam'oi' other suitable fluid is accomplished while the container 24 travels past stations 0, D, and E.

When the container 24 reaches station F, called the closing station, the plunger 36 which has been resting within the cylindrical recess of the sealing member 42, is again raised by suitable mechanism (not shown) and this time the chuck plate 38 serves as a pressure closing mechanism by forc-' ing the end closures 14 and 15 fully upon the con-* tainer body by pressing the can with its end closures up against the top plate 47. Both the top and bottom closures are thus fully assembled and the container hermetically sealed.

when the container body has thus been closed at station F, further continuous rotary movement of the turret 34 brings the container 24 to station G, where the processed and sealed container 24 is discharged from the turret by raising it by means of the plunger 36 into the control of the endless belt 30 which conveys the container 24 upon a discharge trackway 52, consisting of parts 26', 27', 28', and 29', which are identical-in construction with the parts 26, 27, 28, and 29 of the feed in trackway previously described.

To insure a perfect hermetic seal between the body 11 and the end closures 14 and 15 a gasket or sealing compound 55 may be interposed between the' rounded edges 12 and 13 of the body 11 and the channel 56 of the ends 14 and 15. See Figs. 3 and 4. t

It is thought that the invention and many of its' attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the devices mentioned herein and in the steps and their order of accomplishment of the process described herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the forms and processes hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. The method of processing and closing filled containers, which consists in providing a container body and end closures having vent holes in a part thereof, partially assembling said end closures on said body to confine therein the product to be processed, passing a processing fluid into the container through the vent holes of one of said closures and out through the vent holes of the other closure, and fully assembling said closures upon said container, to seal said vent holes and said container.

2. The method of processing and closing fllled containers, which consists in providing a container body and end closures having vent holes in a part thereof, bringing said closures to a partially assembled position upon said body to confine therein the product to be processed but leaving open the vent holes, passing steam through the holes of one of said closuresand out through the holes of the other closure, and finally bringing said closures to fully assembled position to close up said holes and hermetically seal the container.

3. The method of processing filled distributable cans, which consists in providing the can with slip covers at its opposite ends so as to leave open entrance for steam at one end and exit for steam at the other end of the container, then passing processing steam into said entrance and throughout the contents of the can and out through said exit, and then pressing towards each other said covers and thereby sealing the can.

4. The method of packing, processing and closing a container consisting of a bodyand ends, which comprises providing said container near extremities thereof with vent holes and movable closures by the movement of which the vent holes and container may be closed, packing the container, said closures being applied to partly close the container and leave open said vent holes, then circulating a processing fluid into one of said vent holes past said product and out through the other of said vent holes until said product is processed, and then moving said closures on the container body and thereby closing said vent holes and sealing the container.

JOHN H. MURCH. 

